It also caused a serious backlog in the kitchen when orders finally began pouring in. For some reason, no food orders were turned in to the kitchen until everyone had their cocktails and this ate up valuable time during the two-hour pressure test allotment. Rech's voice-over explained that each cocktail took one to two minutes to prepare and he only had one bartender working the test, so drink orders were slow getting out. The 30 pressure test diners found Tongue & Cheek's craft cocktail menu so inviting they all ordered cocktails. The two teams seemed to be very evenly matched.

Their distinctive craft cocktail program and beef cheek burger have generated plenty of media attention over the past year. The same is true for Miami's Tongue & Cheek, the first restaurant and bar from veteran fine dining chef Jamie DeRosa and his general manager Gustavo Rech. Open less than a year, Porter's tasty pub grub already has an enthusiastic following and their burger has garnered national media attention. Cooking school and fine dining alums Bixel and Joiner handle the kitchen while former home brewer Lane runs the front of the house. Porter Ale House is the brainchild of friends Joe Bixel, Neil Joiner, and Trevor Lane, who met working in the New York City restaurant scene and chose Austin as the home for their first independent eatery.

A strong performance in the finale would determine the winner. For the first time this season, neither team managed to pass the two-hour pressure test. Last week, Austin's popular new Porter Ale House & Gastropub faced off against Miami's equally hot Tongue & Cheek in a battle of burgers and bar food. Black Mussels from Porter Ale House (Courtesy of )

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